Book Review: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Hiya!

For today’s blog post, we have a review of The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean.

This book centers around supernatural beings called ‘book eaters’ who, you guessed it, consume books as food. Aside from filling their appetite, they also retain a book’s content upon eating it.

Something I enjoyed immensely about this book is how effortlessly Sunyi Dean introduces the book eater world to the reader. Not once did I feel lost or confused — which is always a possibility when starting a new fantasy read. I appreciated the excerpts at the beginning of every other chapter covering the book eaters’ nature and history. In addition, I liked how the flashbacks serve not only to flesh out the characters but also to help us understand the creatures’ society.

Further, I adored the protagonist, Devon, a young book eater woman on the run with her son, Cai. Devon is an incredibly compelling character and I feel that I grew very close to her while reading.

Through her perspective, we learn about the book eater’s mistreatment of women. Specifically how they are forced into arranged marriages and must bear children. The awful way Devon is treated simply broke my heart.

Motherhood is, without a doubt, the central theme of this story. I think the author excelled at conveying Devon’s pain, as I couldn’t help but share in her agony. Devon is ruthless and would do anything to protect her son. I can confidently say her character is my favorite part of the book.

Additionally, there was quite a bit of action, which I was pleasantly surprised by! I thought the action-packed scenes were very well executed and kept me on the edge of my seat. The book as a whole is pretty quick-paced but not to the point that it feels rushed. It’s just right.

On top of all that, there is a bit of a sapphic romance that I thought was lovely! Yet, it is only a minor part of the story so I wouldn’t go into this one expecting a big romance.

The Book Eaters is unlike anything I’ve read before. If you’re a lover of fantasy and strong female characters, I highly recommend it! I really hope we get to see more of this world and Sunyi Dean. 🥰